1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an isolated animal caging system for improving disconnection of individual cages having an internal watering valve from a watering system.
2. Background of the Invention
Prior art animal housing systems include a rack system with multi-compartment cages for housing individual animals. It is desirable to remove the cages from the rack for supplying animals with basic needs such as food, providing treatments to the animals and cleaning the inside of the cages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,261 describes a cage rack in which individual cages can be withdrawn, serviced and reinserted. A shelf flange includes a flat area at one end of the rack and a sloping area rearward of the flat area. A cage flange includes a thicker flat central area and progressively thinner end portions. The cage flange is slidably inserted into the shelf flange so that upon full insertion into the rack the cage flange is firmly urged against the shelf flange. A water bottle is placed inside the cage. This rack has the disadvantage that the cage must be removed from the rack to replenish the water supply in the water bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,280 describes a caging system providing convenience of installation or removal of individual cage assemblies. A plurality of cage assemblies are slidably disposed on flanges depending from shelves in a cage rack. A plurality of cage assembly covers have openings aligned with openings of ducts to an air supply. A spring-loaded sliding valve member connected to the cage has tabs to normally block the openings in the cage covers when the cage is removed from the cage rack. As the cage is pushed to full insertion, the tabs are slid open for receiving the air supply. Thus, air openings of the cage are closed off by the tabs unless the cage is fully inserted into the rack. A water bottle and food access depressed area can be supported on a removable lid of the cage. The cage assembly must be removed from the system to add water to the water bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,088 issued to the same inventors of this disclosure describes a cage assembly including a water apparatus for allowing confined animals to be supplied with water from an outside watering system. The water apparatus allows the cage assembly to be disconnected from and reconnected to an outside watering system without destroying the integrity of the biologically micro-isolated cage from the environment. A watering valve is inserted into the water apparatus through a releasable entrance which seals the cage when the cage assembly is disconnected from the outside watering source. A perforation in a wall of the water apparatus is used for removing any water from the water apparatus that may have leaked from the watering source in order to prevent flooding of the cage or injury to the confined animals. However, this cage assembly suffers from the drawback that the valve is exposed to the ambient air and subject to possible contamination when the cage is not in place.
Of possible general relevance are U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,569 related to a coupling for a drinking water supply, U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,429 related to a coupling for connecting a water manifold with a drinking valve; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,036 related to a valved discharge member for use with a water supply system.
It is desirable to provide a positive locking connection to an outside water supply system that can be quickly and easily disconnected from a cage. The positive locking connection includes a valve located internally in the cage to maintain isolation barrier of the cage when the cage is disconnected from the outside watering supply system.